Why Didn't Simone Biles and USA Gymnasts Attend the Olympics Opening Ceremony?

Rather than attending the Olympic Opening Ceremony of the Summer 2024 Paris Games, Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. women's gymnastics squad chose to participate in a private party on Friday to honor the beginning of the sporting competition. The crew decided to remain at their hotel since they were concerned about  the physical toll that standing for lengthy periods of time would take.

Biles' parents attended the Opening Ceremony and her mother Nellie spoke with NBC about why her daughter was skipping the festivities. "The first competition is Sunday, which is women's qualifier, and, of course, she needs to rest up before that competition," she told special correspondent Snoop Dogg during the ceremony.

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Biles has a 17-person support group in Paris to see her compete, according to Nellie. “She is feeling really good. Spoke to her this morning and she’s doing great.” During the Opening Ceremony event, Biles engaged in a FaceTime conversation with Snoop Dogg and Hoda Kotb, according to NBC's TODAY

Simone Biles posts a story to her Instagram account of her and the 2024 U.S Olympics women's gymnastics team. Photo: Simone Biles/Instagram

How the U.S. Gymnasts Celebrated Instead

The USA Gymnastics team has been discreetly celebrating the Friday event on social media. Many of the team members, including Biles, shared photos from their Friday private celebration. The description for the photo Biles posted on her Instagram page was "Our opening ceremony mix." She posed in the image with her colleagues. She also shared a cheerful shot of herself bouncing with Mykayla Skinner, captioned "Let the games begin."

The squad didn't much appear to care about their more private celebrations, as it was shared all over Instagram. Gymnast Jade Carey called the event on Instagram "our own little twist on opening ceremonies.” Along with the team's posts, Lisa Spini, who is the coach of the gymnastics team, posted a video of the teams acting out their arrival at the opening ceremony.

While the team gears up for a big day Sunday, they are taking every measure to rest and prepare for the competition. Everyone is looking forward to seeing Biles do the Yurchenko double pike on the vault during vault practice this week, which has made her a fan favorite and one of the most talked-about gymnasts in Olympic history.

Don't Miss

The drama and good vibes in Paris aren't over yet. The 2024 Paralympic Games kick off August 28 and run through September 8. Stay up to date with a comprehensive schedule of events, including where to watch. All events will be broadcast live on Peacock.